Baja 1000: A Joy in the Dirt – Auto Racing

Since 1967, off-road enthusiasts have been converging in northern Baja Mexico to partake in the legendary Baja 1000. A race that covers a 1000 miles of rugged terrain from Ensenada to La Paz in the south. For many this weekend in November is the highlight of the off-road racing season and the winner reaches legendary status by crossing the finish line with the fastest time.

The race is a timed event and the start is staggered to make the start equal for all who enter. Just about any type of vehicle can be entered into the race with the most popular being the dune buggie. Recently a majority of the winners has been the factory sponsored truck teams, but the crowd favorite has always been the Baja Bug. With the conversion of a Volkswagen Beetle to an all terrain vehicle, this little car has been a mainstay at the event since its inception.

This is not a race for the novice. This race takes skill, a good vehicle, and guts the size of Baja itself. Whether on motorcycle, dune buggie, Baja Bug or like Erik Carlsson in 1969 and ‘70 a stock front-wheel drive Saab96, you need to have the endurance for this grueling race. The drivers of these vehicles will experience punctured tires, over-heated engines, and exhaustion, but to win you must possess a determination that is beyond sane.

The people of Baja Mexico are hospitable, warm, friendly, and inviting, unfortunately for the drivers the terrain is not. For many of these drivers deal with desert heat, getting airborne from the many hill and bumps that line the course, and a sore rear from the uneven terrain that is off-road racing.

If you plan to visit Baja and witness this amazing event, book your hotel early for this is one of the most popular events of the year in the area. When arriving, you will be welcomed with a smile from your host, scenery unlike any you have seen before, cold beer, great food, and you will be able to witness a test of endurance that is the Baja 1000.

Discover Muscle Cars at Auto Racing

Between 1960 and 1972 Detroit created a class of amazing performance machines by placing large engines in smaller cars. The American Muscle Car was born and was celebrated in popular youth culture, inspiring Top 40 hits like The Beach Boys “409″, Jan & Dean’s “Little Old Lady from Pasadena” and The Ripcords’ “GTO”.

Pontiac’s GTO was one of the earliest examples of the muscle car. The roaring success of the GTO led auto manufacturers to quickly introduce their own muscle cars, such as the Olds Cutlass 442, the Plymouth Roadrunner and the Ford Mustang Boss 302. Carmakers then added extra performance to their full-size vehicles, expanding the depth of the muscle car genre to include the Chevrolet Impala SS 427, the Ford Torino 428 Cobra Jet, and the Dodge Hemi-Charger R/T.

Chrysler’s Hemi engine is legendary in muscle car circles for its prodigious power and distinctive throaty exhaust note. A hemi-powered car commands a significant premium when sold or auctioned to muscle car collectors.

Today, classic muscle cars can be purchased from dealers who specialize in restoring them to original condition. Muscle cars are also sold by private individuals, often on the Internet. Live auctions are also a popular way for collectors to acquire the muscle car of their dreams, and the bidding for these American icons often skyrockets to many times their original selling price.

The Snake: Don Prudhomme – Auto Racing

One of the first hot wheel cars that I remember owning was a replica of “The Snake” funny car. The real car was driven by Don “The Snake” Prudhomme the first man to ever pass the 250 M.P.H mark in a funny car. Now that my friends is fast. Faster than any of us would every imagine trying to accomplish, but than “The Snake” is not us. He is truly a man that was built for speed.

At the age of twenty he started his motor-sports racing career in Bakersfield California by winning his first top fuel race. Than almost thirty years later he passed the 300 M.P.H mark at the age of fifty-one in another top fuel car, becoming only the third person at that time do have done so.

In the seventies when I was collecting hot wheels and dreaming of driving as fast as my car would take me, an epic battle would take place on Wide World of Sports once a year. “The Snake” vs. “The Mongoose” (Tom McEwen) would become a race of immortals and legends for my young friends and I. In less than six seconds the race would be over, but we would reply the event on our neighborhood street until the moon rose. If I remember correctly, “The Snake” came away with the victory on most occasions.

Now at the age of 65 he is still involved with racing as owner of Don Prudhomme Racing and still racing champions. There are still times when I dream of racing against “The Snake”, but know that when the time came I would not hit the pedal as Mr. Prudhomme was so successful at accomplishing. My only regret is that I no longer have that Snake hot wheel car.

NASCAR cars: it’s all in the body – Auto Racing

A lot of racecar enthusiasts consider NASCAR to be F1’s bastard cousin. So many differences in the design and maneuverability of the cars, the attitude of the races and drivers. But any NASCAR fan will tell you that the cars themselves demonstrate a rare form of workmanship that is fast disappearing from the auto-racing.

Just about every part a NASCAR car is made by hand. The bodies are built from flat sheet metal, the engines are assembled from a bare block and the frame is constructed from steel tubing.

The frame consists of a structure of round and square steel tubing of varying weights and thickness. The bulk of the structure surrounds the driver. This part of the frame – the roll cage – is made of the thickest tubing and is designed to stay together, protecting the driver during every turn and in every potential or realized accident or crash.

The front and rear sections of the frame, called the front clip and the rear clip, are built from thinner steel tubing so that they will crush when the car hits another car or a wall. In addition to being collapsible, the front clip is designed to push the engine out of the bottom of the car – rather than into the driver’s compartment – during an accident. And if you don’t think that’s a good thing to know when you’re spinning out of a curve than you just don’t know NASCAR.

When the frame comes into the shop, the firewall (the metal panel separating the engine compartment from the driver’s compartment) and floor panels are welded in, along with various mounting brackets for things like the engine, suspension, seat, fuel cell and body.

The shape of the car is mostly determined by NASCAR rules. These rules are determined by a set of 30 templates, each shaped to fit a different contour of the car. For instance, the biggest template fits over the center of the car from front to back.

After the pieces are shaped, they are welded to the car and to each other, using the templates to check their location. Not all of the cars are built to the same specifications. Some cars are dedicated short-track cars, and others are dedicated super-speedway cars. There are some major differences between the two types.

Since the speeds are lower on the short race tracks, getting an adequate volume of cooling air to the engine and brakes can be a challenge — especially since the engines and brakes generate more heat during short-track racing. Conversely, the body on a super-speedway car is mounted forward on the frame to reduce drag.

Simple in theory, but advanced in application – the success of NASCAR racing cars goes deeper than just under the hood. It lies in the frame and the body itself.

The Daytona 500 – Auto Racing

The most exciting race for car lovers is the Daytona 500. Starting with the first race in 1959, the excitement has never waned. With that first race the achievement of excellence was cemented for the entire racing community. This is the race that makes legends out of everyone who crosses the finish line first. The winner of the first 500 was Lee Petty, the patriarch of the famous racing family. The race was so close that it took three days after the raced had finished for a winner to be declared by photo. Lee Petty’s car edged Johnny Beauchamp by a mere two feet.

Daytona started on the sandy beaches of the area with drivers racing in an oval for little more than pride and bragging rights. When in the 1959 the cars moved from the beach to the now famous Daytona International Speedway, the “Great American Race” was created. Most of the sporting world’s major championships takes place at the end of the season, but the Daytona 500 is what makes NASCAR so much different than its sporting competitors. The big race is the first of the season and it’s richest.

Some say that NASCAR is now one of America’s top four sports and I would have to agree. On most Sunday afternoon’s thousands are in the grandstands among the roar of racing engines, while millions are glued to their televisions sets to cheer on their favorite car drivers. With Daytona being the biggest race of the year more 150,000 fill its arena while television ratings soar through the roof.

When that Sunday in February arrives, grab yourself a cold beer, don the cap of your favorite driver and watch the Great American Race create another legend.

From Go-Carts to Race Cars: a Look at F1’s Michael Schumacher

He may be F1’s most successfull driver, but that doesn’t mean the 2006 Formula One season is any easier for him. Michael Schumacher has come a long way from his first cart race at age five, to his current number 5 position in the 2006 F1 standings. From the time he became German Junior Champion in 1984, anyone associated with racing knew Schumacher had the gifts to really make an impact on the sport.

A slew of impressive kart performances jumpstarted his career: winning the German Junior Championships again in ‘85, Second Place in the Junior World Championships in Le Mans, 3rd place in the 1986 German Senior Kart Championships, and finally capping his learning curve by winning both the German and the European Senior Kart Championships in 1987).

In 1988, Schumacher transitioned into the big leagues: embarking on his first season in a Formula racing car, drawing the attention of Willi Weber, who was looking for up-and-coming talents. During a Formula Ford race on the rain-soaked Salzburgring, Michael stormed from 7th to 1st place during just one lap.

In his first Formula 3 season in 1989, Michael Schumacher won two races and ended the championships just one point behind in third place, after Heinz-Harald Frentzen. The champion was Karl Wendlinger. The rest, as they say, is history. But the truth is, in nearly 20 years of continuous driving, you’re only as good as your last performance on the track.

Michael Schumacher is a five-times World Champion F1 driver and tops the list of most Grand Prix wins in the history of Formula One.

Currently 21 points behind series leader Fernando Alonso, and with 11 races still ahead of him, Michael Schumacher faces his most challenging season yet.